Square Lands Mobile Payments Deal With Whole Foods

Square has reached a deal with Whole Foods in which it will offer its mobile checkout system at seven of the grocer’s outlets, making Whole Foods the second national retailer after Starbucks to support Square card processing. Checkout will not be enabled at the main registers, but at sites within Whole Foods stores such as coffee and sandwich stations. “This is an important move for us, it gives us the ability to scale,” says Square’s Aaron Zamost. The potential benefits to Whole Foods of setting up multiple registers in its stores could include accelerating checkout lines and drawing new customers, such as those who use Square’s app that facilitates checkout through a smartphone without swiping a credit card. “We’re looking at new ways to offer seamless technology that will respond to customers’ needs,” says Whole Foods CEO Walter Robb. The arrangement suggests Square aims to expand its reach beyond food trucks and mom-and-pop merchants.

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From “Square Lands Payments Deal With Whole Foods”
Wall Street Journal (02/12/14) Bensinger, Greg